Effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindle on histopathology of pancreas and diabetes treatment in STZ- induced diabetic rats

Objectives: This study investigates the effects of hydro-alcoholic extract of Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindle (P.f) on rats' pancreas structure changes and diabetic treatment after streptozotocin injection. Materials and Methods: In this research forty male Wistar rats with body weights of 100±20 gram, were randomly divided into 5 groups with 8 rats per each group. Diabetes was induced in rats by streptozotocin at a dose of 75 mg/kg body weight (B.W) injected intraperitoneally. Root and leaves with stems hydroalcoholic extract of P.f at a dose of 100 mg/kg B.W have been injected orally in diabetic rats, daily for a month. Results: Significant decrease in blood glucose, WBC and HbA1c and increase in body weight were observed in treated diabetic rats. Histopathologic results of diabetic rats revealed reduction in number of pancreatic islets as well as their number of β-cells and insulitis with lymphocytes infiltration. Regeneration of pancreatic islets and β-cells, along with a reduction in the number of infiltrated lymphocytes were present in plant extract –treated diabetic rats. Conclusion: The roots´ hydro-alcoholic extract of P.f seems to be capable to regenerate the islets of Langerhans in the treated rats in comparison with the untreated diabetic rats. This property can be due to some components of the plant that can increase insulin secretion.